Degas at the Lightner Museum

There has been some great news about some of the events and exhibitions heading to the Lightner Museum. Last year they had Downtown Abbey costumes, and used some pieces from their own collection to provide the reflective outlook of the turn of the century England. But this year is going to be one of the most celebrated painters in modern art history. Edgar Degas, and some of those impressionist friends in his circle, like Cassatt and Manet will be alongside him, in a debut of their most intimate sketches and incomplete art projects.

Cost For Degas Exhibit

The current cost for admission into the Lightner Museum ranges between $15 to $8, with children younger than the age of eleven free admissions into the museum. On Sundays, the locals who live in the Saint Johns County will have free admission. The full price range is listed below:

• General Admission | $15
• Senior (65+) | $12
• College Student | $12
• Active Military | $12
• 12 – 17-Year-Olds | $8
• 11 and younger | Free

The Degas exhibit will include an extra $5 to the admission cost for the museum. So if someone wants to go to the museum and the Degas exhibit, then the extra $5 covers both admissions. For Saint Johns County locals who are free on Sundays, a $5 admission charge will be charged for the Degas exhibit located inside the museum. So while the rest of the museum is free for Saint Johns County residents, the Degas is not. Here is what the admissions will cost between April and July:

• General Admission | $20
• Senior (65+) | $17
• College Student | $17
• Active Military | $17
• 12 – 17-Year-Olds | $13
• 11 and younger | $5

Currently on Display at Lightner Museum

The current layout of the museum includes Guilded Age mechanical instruments, taxidermied bodies of both humans and animals, brilliant and cut crystals with some Tiffany pieces, and remnants of restored building parts from the old Alcazar hotel.

The ballroom is currently showcasing the American Castles exhibit, with some of the pieces being reorganized from the Lightner Exhibition on Downtown Abbey. There are some decorating modifications being done at the museum that is also in effect for that of the ballroom, such as lighting and painting of walls and columns.

The Degas exhibit will be located above the cut glass and porcelain display, where the hobbies and American furniture were located for a small time. The current wing is closed for renovations and planning of display for Degas.

The former stained glass room, which was the massage room in the old Alcazar Hotel, will be renovated for a new permanent home for their large cut glass display at the museum. The stained glass has been sent for restoration, and future repurpose for a better location in the museum that will be refurbished after the Degas Exhibit has left the museum on their next tour of the United States. The Degas wing will become a future wing of American furniture.

What to do at the Lightner Museum

There are wonderful ways to check out the Lightner Museum, as an old hotel, and as an intricate museum of hobbies and turn of the century developments. Musical demonstrations are offered at 11AM and 2PM, seven days a week. Some of the most fascinating instruments to hear being performed include a 1925 Nickelodeon, and an old Street Piano to name a few.

The Lightner Museum hosts a Lightner after hours every 3rd or 4th Thursday of the month. The admission is free, and all you have to do is pay for your drink. The museum will be open on either the second or first floor, and everyone enjoys the museum.

Weddings and other private events are still offered at the Lightner Museum but going forward some parts of the museum will no longer be available for private functions, such as that of the main lobby inside the Lightner Museum building. The courtyard, mezzanine, ballroom, pool, and terrace are still optional points for private parties or weddings.

The courtyard of the Lightner Museum has antique stores and vintage shops, along with a little bistro and the offices of the wedding authority that encompass the Lightner Museum courtyard. There are also offices for the city of Saint Augustine, and any meeting rooms for locals or city commissioners to join into the change and developments that happen to Saint Augustine for better or worse.

If you are interested in knowing more information about the Lightner Museum and any events, check out their website or their location at 75 King St, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Their phone number is (904)-824-2874.